Trailer trolley triumph

By Bridget Cook
PAKENHAM’S shopping trolley crusader Kevin Lia has a new set of wheels.
Pakenham Trailers built and donated a trailer to him last week, to help make his task safer and easier.
The 78-year-old retiree has been rescuing shopping trolleys from Pakenham’s reserves and waterways for more than seven years using a ride-on lawnmower – which was eventually ordered off the road by police – and a ute.
Mr Lia can now collect almost double the amount of trolleys with his new custom-built trailer.
Mr Lia said the donated trailer was ‘absolutely tremendous’.
“I couldn’t believe that someone would do that for me … it means so much,” he said.
Pakenham Trailers owners Martin and Michelle Van Deelen surprised him with the trailer last week.
Mr Lia was so pleased with his new set of wheels he was out picking up trolleys that afternoon.
Mrs Van Deelen said they decided to build Mr Lia a trailer as they believed his other method of collecting them was dangerous.
“He was driving around in a ute, sometimes with trolleys behind that … it seemed dangerous,” she said.
“So we decided to donate one to him.
“We’re very happy to see Kev happy, as well as safe and legal,” she said.
Mr Lia said he hoped to continue his job for awhile and his new trailer would help him to do that.
”When you’re getting old you want something to do and a reason to get out of bed in the morning,” he said. “And I like to work.”
Mr Lia would like to thank Pakenham Trailers for their donation.
“Not too many people would do such a thing,” he said.